Queens of Crime: 3-Book Thriller Collection. Kimberley Chambers
it was the heat under his crash-helmet causing it, nerves, or a mixture of both. What he did know was that Mummy’s boy, Vinny Butler, would most definitely see his mother into a car later, or he might even take her home himself. To shoot Vinny in front of Queenie would be the crème da la crème of all murders. If Johnny could pull that off, not only would it avenge Dave’s death, it would also put him on the gangland folklore map for many years to come.
Vivian beamed with pride when she spotted her Lenny standing on the stage behind a DJ console. He even had earphones on and looked ever so professional. ‘Look at him. Reminds me of that Tony Blackburn, don’t he you?’ Vivvy said, nudging her sister.
‘Aw, bless him. I notice he’s playing Elvis. You have told him he’s got to play alternative stuff other than just rock and roll, haven’t you, Michael?’ Queenie asked.
‘Yep. Champ knows what he’s doing. Now come and sit down. This table has the best view in the club which is why Vinny wanted you and Auntie Vivvy to sit here.’
Queenie sat down and as she glanced around to see who else had been invited, she very nearly fell off the chair in shock. ‘What’s your fucking father doing here?’ she hissed at Michael.
‘I don’t know to be honest. I didn’t even know he was coming until he bowled in about half an hour ago. I think Vinny must have invited him.’
Vivian pursed her lips to show her disapproval. ‘He spent most of Roy and Brenda’s childhood gallivanting with other women, or propping up the bar in some grotty pub, yet he has the cheek to show up at their engagement party like the doting father. What a fucking liberty.’
When Queenie clocked Vinny, she leapt out of her chair and marched towards him.
‘Look, I know what you’re angry about, but I just thought seeing as Dad is dying it was the right thing to do. My father is the last person I would want at my club, but for once I decided to put Roy and Brenda’s feelings before my own. It is their engagement party, and the way I saw it was if Dad is found bloody dead in that bedsit of his next week or sometime soon, they might never have forgiven me for not inviting him.’
Queenie stared into her son’s eyes. She knew her eldest better than he knew himself at times. ‘Don’t take me for a fool, Vinny. I know you’re up to no good. It had better not be something to do with Roy and Colleen, because if it is I won’t be happy at all.’
‘What do you take me for, eh? I try and make a bit of an effort and throw a nice party at all my own expense and this is the thanks I get. Well, cheers, Mum. Thanks a lot. I even got in touch with Colleen’s work pals and invited them.’
‘OK, I’m sorry,’ Queenie said, aware of how hurt Vinny looked.
‘Dad. Uncle Michael says Brenda and Dean are outside,’ Little Vinny said, tugging his father by the sleeve of his suit jacket.
‘Tell Champ to turn the music off, Mum, and get ready for the big entrance. He knows what he’s got to do. I’m gonna keep Bren and Dean outside until Roy and Colleen arrive. I want them to all walk in together.’
After Queenie gave Lenny the heads-up, she sat back down opposite Vivian.
‘I hope you had a go at Vinny for inviting Albie. What on earth was he thinking of, eh?’ Vivian asked.
Queenie shrugged. ‘Oh, for fuck’s sake. Albie has spotted us and is coming over.’
Vivian glared at her ex-brother-in-law as he plonked himself on a seat next to her. ‘Jesus, you smell like a fucking brewery and the party ain’t even started yet. How many you had?’
Dreading doing what Vinny had ordered him to do, Albie had been merry on arrival. Vinny had then served him up a few large brandies. ‘I’m a dying man, Vivian. Is a man staring death in the face not allowed to have a few drinks?’ Albie slurred.
‘Well, hurry up and croak it then,’ Vivian muttered.
‘The bleedin’ state of you, Albie. You haven’t even had a shave and the collar of that shirt is filthy. Looks crusty, it does. Don’t you dare introduce yourself to Colleen’s parents. They’ll think their daughter is marrying into The Beverly Hillbillies,’ Queenie remarked.
‘I’ve already met Colleen’s parents. Very nice people. They’re standing up by the bar.’
About to scold Albie for embarrassing the family name, Queenie was stopped by Lenny’s voice booming out over the microphone. ‘Surprise! Congratulations Roy, Colleen, Brenda and Dean. This party is for you and so is this record.’ He then proceeded to play the Dixie Cups’ ‘Chapel of Love’.
‘Always reminds me of our wedding day this does, Queenie. One of the happiest days of my life, that was,’ Albie said wistfully.
‘Oh, shut up, you silly old bastard. This record didn’t come out until the bleedin’ sixties. We’d been married donkey’s years by then,’ Queenie spat.
‘I ain’t sitting here listening to this old bollocks. Come on, Queenie, let’s go and say hello to all the guests,’ Vivian said.
Queenie stood up. ‘And don’t you dare do anything to ruin the evening, Albie. I know what an arsehole you are in drink.’
When Queenie and Vivian walked away from the table, Albie felt like crying. He would have liked to have attended the party in a nice suit, celebrated the joyous occasion with his children, behaved himself and done them proud. Yet here he was, resembling a tramp, three sheets to the wind, all because his eldest son was an evil bastard and was using him as a pawn in his latest game. Albie put his head in his hands. A brave man would walk away now rather than ruin his own son’s engagement. But Albie was a weak man, who would do anything to save his own bacon, and that had been his biggest downfall.
Mary Walker was begging her husband to calm down and think sensibly. ‘If we let Nancy go, Donald, she will be married and pregnant in no time, then we will lose her forever. We have to stop her from making the biggest mistake of her life. Perhaps if we allow her to see Michael, their relationship will fizzle out in a matter of months. But, if we force her to leave, and she moves in with them Butlers, we might as well have handed our own daughter over to a hungry pack of wolves.’
Donald was devastated, but extremely angry at the same time. For years he had worked his bollocks off to provide his children with the best possible start, and Nancy had just thrown everything he had ever tried to do, including teaching her good morals, back in his face.
Mary let out a traumatized sob when Nancy bounded out of her bedroom with a suitcase in her hand. ‘Please don’t go, darling. You will regret this for the rest of your life if you end up a part of that family. You’ll be pregnant and trapped before you know it.’
Wanting to hug her wonderful mum more than anything else in the world, Nancy knew that she couldn’t. If she did, she might not ever leave, and she loved Michael too much to give him up. If she did stay, it would be like living in a prison cell and her overbearing father and brother would watch her every move to make sure she never set eyes on the love of her life again. ‘I’m sorry, Mum, but I have to leave. I’ll be in touch soon, I promise.’
‘Oh, no you won’t. If you walk out that door and choose those Butlers over us, we want no more to do with you, do we, Dad?’ Christopher stated.
‘Your brother is correct, Nancy. For your mother’s sake, I will give you one last opportunity to apologize to your family and stop all this nonsense once and for all. Because if you don’t, I swear on the Bible you will vacate our lives forever.’
Not wanting her obnoxious father to see her falter, Nancy picked up her case, stormed out of the door, and did not cry until she had reached the pavement outside the shop.
‘Donald, do something. Please, go and bring her back,’ Mary sobbed.
Donald held his hysterical wife in his arms and did his best to comfort her. ‘None of this is our fault, Mary, so let’s not blame ourselves that Nancy has turned out to be a bad apple. We